Publisher Vrdolyak

September 12, 1985

Ald. Edward Vrdolyak has decided that Jane Byrne and Harold Washington are right about at least one thing: If you want a newspaper that says only good things about you and trashes your enemies, you have to start one yourself.

So, following in their footsteps, he has founded the ``Majority Report,`` which he tells friends will be devoted regularly to beating up Mayor Washington and The Chicago Tribune, who, though not allies, do share the common characteristic of remaining out of Mr. Vrdolyak`s control.

Mr. Vrdolyak`s newspaper, it is reported, will be run by his hatchetman, Joe Novak, whose experience at planting news and trying to manipulate media on behalf of politicians is sure to make the sheet a credit to the industry.

It is almost certain to be as good as Mr. Washington`s, which is run by his press secretary and has a slightly different purpose: to beat up on Mr. Vrdolyak and The Chicago Tribune`s INC. column. And both of these publications will eventually end up like Mrs. Byrne`s--defunct.

While The Tribune is honored to have been the inspiration for both new publications, the idea of politicians starting their own newspapers is not original with Chicago. In fact, they have been doing it all over the world for many years. Politician newspapers have become the trademark of both fascist and Marxist governments.

Fortunately, in a democracy like ours, the politicians have a harder time getting rid of the competition.